Music-powered shopping experience Upstream launches

Billed as the “world’s first fashion streaming service”, Upstream has launched a new music-powered shopping experience. Targeting “young fashion savvy consumers” it claims to offer an “affordable and trusted way to discover and access… [fashion from] leading brands to emerging designers”.

Upstream said it “addresses current authenticity and availability issues in the secondary market with an enhanced secondary platform providing compelling incentives for both brands and consumers”. 

The “alternative retail model” offers brands access to the secondary market, while providing consumers affordable access to premium brands it claims to “meet the demand for everyday wear beyond the restrictive rental market”.

Upstream showcases emerging talent and brands featuring over 500 emerging music artists, fashion creators and brands. 

It launches in the UK with Aries, Martine Rose, Sage Nation, Robyn Lynch, Yardsale, POP, Kartik Research, YMC, Uniform Bridge, Open YY and more.

“By merging consumer interests of music and fashion, Upstream creates a new era of social shopping, becoming the go-to destination for premium secondary fashion and the only dedicated platform where consumers can stream fashion like they do music”, it said.

For £24.99 a month, members receive in-app ‘coin’ to ‘stream’ (trial-before-you-buy) items up to £250 in retail value.  With no maximum stream period, products can be re-streamed monthly or purchased at a fair ‘Upstream Price’, consistent with secondary market pricing. 

It said quality control is managed by B-Corp certified partner ACS, “ensuring a fully managed cleaning and renewal process, with elevated packaging and next-day delivery, providing a luxurious secondary experience”.

The company added: “Fuelled by social media and an ‘always-on’ culture, young consumers desire clothes more frequently than they can afford. Upstream incentivises members with in-app ‘coin’ to create authentic user-generated content, unlocking access to higher value products and further driving discovery, engagement, and purchase.”

Saying the platform currently has a social community of 8.5k followers and a subscription waitlist of over 5,000, Upstream co-founder and CEO Nick Stickland added: “In a market calling for change, Upstream offers brands a new way to retail through ‘fashion streaming’. Our unique platform allows brands to connect with savvy youth consumers seeking more affordable, trustworthy, and conscious shopping alternatives, by combining what they love most: new music and fashion.”